Personal thoughts, opinions and comments of an independent consultant, political analyst and historian, who lives in Ireland but is aware of the whole world.

04 December 2008

Historic Cork Brewery Beamish & Crawford will be closed in March by its new Owner Heineken

If you have waited for today's scandal from Ireland and wondered what it could be, you have to wait no longer. Here it is, with bad news from Cork.It is not as large and significant as the scandals uncovered in previous days, but for an Irishman, and especially one who lives in the southern province of Munster, it is bad enough.

The giant international brewery group Heineken - originally a Dutch company - is to close the historic Beamish & Crawford brewery in Cork (photo above), which they recently acquired.

The closure is scheduled for next March and will also mean the loss of 120 local jobs in Ireland's second-largest city.Production of the famous Beamish stout, which looks like Guinness but tastes better, will be transferred to one site at Heineken Ireland's brewery (formerly Murphy's Brewery) in Cork's Leitrim Street. Up to 40 employees from Beamish & Crawford will move to Heineken Ireland, while 120 others are losing their jobs.

In a statement Heineken Ireland has said today that it made the decision "following a review of both individual brewing operations with particular focus on capacity, expansion capability and future investment".

This is nonsense. The real reason is most likely the interest Heineken has in selling off the large Beamish & Crawford site in the city centre of Cork, which would be very lucrative for some new commercial development.

Heineken's Managing Director Gerrit van Loo said: "Retaining two breweries in Cork is not sustainable and the loss of so many jobs remains a sad but unavoidable outcome. We will do all we can to minimise the impact on people and the community. We have agreed comprehensive severance terms with the trade unions, we will provide outplacement support, including career counselling, job search training and pension advice to all departing staff."

This is a severe blow for Cork as a city, but even more so for the traditional culture and lifestyle in the south of Ireland.While the other three provinces have long been dominated by the Dublin-brewed Guinness stout, Munster had always more diversity and choice in the beer market. Though Guinness is available here as well and has meanwhile a large share of the stout market, there were also the alternatives from Cork: Beamish and Murphy's. The latter has been taken over by Heineken years ago and became the core operation of Heineken Ireland. Ever since it has gradually lost its unique identity, character and special taste. Subsequently it also lost a lot of its market share and has become a real minority drink now, rarely to be found anywhere outside Cork city.

Until recently Beamish remained the only true alternative to the international beer giants, although it has been foreign-owned already since 1962.

The Beamish & Crawford brewery was founded in Cork city in 1792 by William Beamish and William Crawford. They purchased an existing brewery on a site in Cramer's Lane that had been producing beer at least since 1650, but probably began brewing already in the early 16th century. Which ever date one takes, it makes this brewery the oldest existing beer producer in Ireland, beating its arch rival Guinness by at least 109 years and perhaps even by 250.

The historic brewery is still situated on the same site in the heart of Cork's medieval city, close to the site of the city's South Gate. (The old Cramer's Lane is now South Main Street) .

Under Mssrs. Beamish and Crawford the brewery prospered, and by 1805 it had become the largest in Ireland and the third-largest in the United Kingdom as a whole, with an output of 100,000 barrels per annum, up from 12,000 barrels per annum in 1792.

In 1865 the brewery underwent a full modernisation programme. This cost the owners £ 100,000 (which was a huge fortune at a time when middle-class people could live comfortably on £ 100 a year).

Alfred Barnard, a renowned brewing and distilling historian, remarked in his book Noted Breweries of Great Britain & Ireland in 1889 that: "The business of Beamish & Crawford in Cork is a very old one, dating as far back as the seventeenth century, and it is said to be the most ancient porter brewery in Ireland".

The company went public in 1901 and issued a share capital of £ 480,000. Further expansion was aided by the acquisition of a number of smaller local breweries in the early 1900s.

Beamish & Crawford remained a strong and independent brewery and survived both world wars and two serious economic depressions without major problems.It became famous in Ireland and beyond for its tasty stout (which is superior to Guinness and Murphy's, but was always sold a little cheaper in order to keep the old ties with the dockers and other working men intact) and also for 'Beamish Red', a lovely sweetish high quality ale that is lately only available in Cork. (It is a favourite drink with the Cricketers of Cork County CC and still on tap at their pavilion on the Mardyke.)

In 1962 Beamish & Crawford came under foreign ownership, when it was purchased by the Canadian brewing firm Carling-O'Keefe Ltd. Even though the new owners embarked on a modernisation programme at the brewery, the take-over meant the end of a 170-year tradition and it started a slow but steady process of decline.In 1987 the brewing group Elders IXL purchased Canadian Breweries (incorporating Carling-O'Keefe) and eight years later they sold the Cork brewery to Scottish & Newcastle, brewers of the famous 'Newcastle Brown Ale', the favourite drink of north-east England.For them Beamish & Crawford was always only a side-show, and thus there was not much new investment in modern technology.In addition to their own products, Beamish & Crawford now brew or distribute also a number of internationally known brands of foreign beer. They hold the Irish franchises for Carling, Fosters, Kronenberg 1664 and Miller.

Earlier this year Scottish & Newcastle, already a very large company, was taken over by an even larger rival, the Dutch brewing giant Heineken International. And with that move Beamish joined its local rival Murphy's as one of the many minority beers in the ever growing portfolio of Heineken International.

The planned closure of the Beamish & Crawford plant in the city centre might well make some commercial sense for the managers and share holders of Heineken, but for the people of Cork and many others in Ireland it is a severe blow. It comes - to make things worse - at a time of severe recession, when every job is vital for a recovery.By closing the historic brewery on South Main Street, Heineken is committing an act of cultural vandalism that shows ignorance for our Irish traditions and contempt for the people of Cork.

I have no power to stop this, even though I wish I had. And I am not even a great drinker of beer. But now and then - in the right company - I might have a few pints like almost everyone else here in Ireland.I will make sure that from now on not a drop of Heineken will ever again pass my lips, as a personal act of protest against the ruthless cultural vandalism of Heineken International.

You might think that such a personal protest is futile and makes no difference to a giant like Heineken. And you are probably right.But I will still do it, in the same way that I have not used any airline in more than 18 years, not been to any fast food outlet for more than 40 years, never use any products from Nestle and Kellogg's, and not buy anything made in the USA since George W. Bush occupied the White House unelected in 2001.I do have my principles, and one of them is not to give any money to people and companies who abuse their political or commercial power. Heineken has just joined this group, and it is a sad development. They used to be a decent Dutch brewery, but that seems now a very long time ago.

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You are indeed most welcome to my humble weblog, to which I post each day a personal column, reflecting my views, thoughts and opinions of the day. Often the entries will be inspired by events and news from Ireland or abroad. Having lived in various countries before I grew solid roots on the Emerald Isle, I take note of many things that happen on the planet.And I have views and opinions.Please be my guest, read and think, and feel free to leave your personal comments as well. They are as welcome as you are here.On the right you also find some additional information, related to Ireland and other matters, for example books I recommend. From time to time I also have opinion polls and appreciate your participation. And if you like what you read, you can subscribe to my weblog (using the box below) and will receive every new entry automatically.And in case you want to find a specific word or subject - on the world-wide web or on one of my two weblogs - then you don't even have to leave the site. Scroll down to the very bottom and you will find a perfect search engine, powered by Google.

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FACTS ABOUT IRELAND

The Emerald Isle

(also known as Ireland) has been inhabited by humans for at least 10,000 years. This image shows the topographical structure of the island, which was until recent times very important and decided in many cases where the people would build their settlements.The oldest surviving monuments in Ireland date from megalithic times between 5000 and 3500 BCE. About 200 BCE the Celts, familiar with the use of iron, conquered the island.

Around 1000 years later Viking raiders from Norway appeared, and in 914 they built the first city in Ireland, calling it "Vadra Fjord" (safe anchorage), which later became Waterford.In 1169 this city was the first to be taken by the Normans, when they invaded and conquered large parts of the island, including the capital Dublin.

In later centuries Ireland became more known for emigrants, as famine, poverty and oppression drove people out into the world. (About 45 million Americans have Irish ancestry.)However, since the unexpected economic boom (known as the "Celtic Tiger"), which we had for about a dozen years, there are now many immigrants on the Emerald Isle, coming from almost everywhere and turning the once quiet and introvert island into a vibrant international community.

Unfortunately the boom turned out to be only a bubble, based on false hopes, speculation and criminal gambling by reckless bankers. So now we are in a deep economic recession, which is made even worse by our current incompetent government.What will happen to Ireland in the future is hard to say, but it all will depend on making the right political, economic, and social decisions.

There is a realistic chance that Ireland could become a major producer of clean energy, and proposals have been presented already to the government and the public. It will now depend on our politicians to make the right decisions. If they do, then we can have a bright and promising future. If not, Ireland is in danger of becoming a poor third-world country.

Ireland's Countryside

is predominantly green. It is said that there are actually forty different shadesofgreen on the island, but few people go around counting.The landscape is rolling, with drumlins, hills and river valleys, and one is never far from the sea in Ireland.Ancient Stones like the one on this photo can be found in many parts of Ireland. They are the remnants of the old religion, which is once again growing on the Emerald Isle.

Ireland's National Flag

was first introduced during the uprising of 1848 in Waterford, Ireland's oldest city, by Thomas Francis Meagher, a native of the city who later rose to prominence as a Union General (and leader of the famous Irish Brigade) during the American Civil War (1861-65).An Bhratach Náisiúnta, as she is called in Irish, is a vertical (revolutionary) tricoleur, inspired by and modeled on the flag of the French Republic.The colours are green, white and orange. They represent the land and the predominantly Catholic nationalist majority (green), the protestant Anglo-Irish minority (orange), and the peace (white) that exists between them.

The flag was used by nationalists in private since 1848 and flown in public again during the Easter Rising of 1916 in Dublin. In 1919 she was adopted as the official flag of the Irish Republic.

Uachtarán na hÉireann

Prof. Mary McAleese is the 8th President of the Republic of Ireland. First elected to the office in 1997 as a representative of the majority government party Fianna Fáil, she is now in her second seven-year term, to which she was elected without opposition in 2004. She is the second female President of the Republic and currently also the longest-serving elected female head of state in the world. Born in Belfast, she encountered the Northern troubles first-hand and her Catholic family was forced out of their house by "loyalist" terrorists. After studying law in Belfast and Dublin, she qualifed as a barrister. In 1975 she was appointed a professor in the legal faculty of Trinity College, Dublin and in 1979 joined RTÉ television as a journalist and presenter. Since 1981 she combined both areas of work, but returned in 1987 to Belfast, as Director of the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen's University, which appointed her Pro-Vice Chancellor in 1994.

An Taoiseach

Brian Cowen, TD is the 12th Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland and the 7th leader of the majority government party Fianna Fáil. In 1984, aged 24, he was elected to the Dáil in the constituency his father Bernhard, a local publican, had represented before. After 8 years in parliament, Cowen was appointed Minister for Labour in 1992. Since then he served as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Minister for Health and Children, and - from 2000 to 2004 - as the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Since 2005 Brian Cowen was Minister for Finance, and since 2007 also Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister). When Taoiseach Bertie Ahern declared his resignation on April 2nd, 2008, Cowen was elected unopposed as the new leader of Fianna Fáil on April 9th. On May 7th, 2008 Dáil Eireann elected him Taoiseach. He leads a coalition government inherited from Bertie Ahern and supported by the Green Party and four independent TDs. The now 48-year-old, sometimes referred to as 'Biffo', is married and father of two daughters. A keen Gaelic football fan, he also continues to be president of Clara GAA club.

The Parliament

of Ireland is known as the Houses of the Oireachtas. The House of Deputies (currently 166) is called Dáil Éireann, while 60 Senators form Seanad Éireann, the Senate. Both meet at Leinster House on Dublin's Kildare Street (above). The former city residence of the Duke of Leinster was sold in 1815 to the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) which added two new wings, to accomodate the National Library and the National Museum. After the formation of the Irish Free State in 1922 the central part was chosen as the provisional parliament chamber (until some proper building would be found). Despite plans to turn the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, into the seat of the Oireachtas, it never happened. So Leinster House is still at the heart of Irish politics. And when Irish architect James Hoban designed the White House in Washington, D.C., he modeled it on Leinster House.

A few words about me

Having been born into an old European family (with 75% of the genes Celtic) I learned early that history and traditions are very important. After a quite turbulent childhood and youth, spent in different countries on three continents, I joined the Navy, served for many years in ships, other commands, and became a historian.
After leaving the Navy I worked in a museum and national monument, taught in school and college, edited a magazine and worked as journalist and broadcaster. Now I earn my crust as an independent consultant and analyst. In my scarce spare time I am involved in various social activities and charity work, write and read a lot, and sometimes even find time for painting.
My house is old and small, and I share it with a cat. Living a simple Spartan life, I eat vegetarian food and do not enjoy alcohol and most entertainments.
Life is too short to be wasted on fripperies. Every day is needed to do one's share - no matter how small it might be - to save the planet and its living creatures.

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